Marvel's Daredevil: "Semper Fidelis"Review

Note: We're writing up separate reviews for all 13 new Daredevil episodes, though for the purposes of binging brevity, some may be notably shorter than our usual reviews. Click here to see all of our Daredevil: Season 2 episode reviews.

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.

Again, a less action-y episode here with "Semper Fidelis" (relatively speaking - still a bit of ass-kicking), but - man- the story is really incredible right now. The trial, the actual discussion of legal tactics, Karen meeting with Frank in prison and Frank refusing to go with a PTSD defense, Elektra REALLY screwing up the trial - TWICE! - and then Matt and Foggy's huge fight over her freakin' extreme witness tampering...this was an amazing chapter.

Also, along the lines of what to do with Matt and Karen... I really loved their discussion over vigilantism. And how it kind of put the brakes on their budding romance. Either for a little while or - who knows? - forever. This show really excels at thought-provoking dialogue about ideas and morality. And this season - with the addition of Elektra and Punisher - has been all about Matt coming into contact with people who are ready and willing to kill those in their way. Without hesitation. And him having to deal with that.

And now Karen, with her shady past - and with her also having FLAT OUT KILLED SOMEONE back in Season 1 - started to side with Frank's methods. Which was too much of a jolt for Matt, who still saw his actions as being above those who would take a human life. Though, from the jury selection scene right at the beginning, even the public is split on Frank's killing spree.

For the first time now, the Elektra story and the Frank story are beginning to collide. And we also discovered that Foggy really didn't know all that much about Elektra other than who she was and the adverse effect she had on Matt for a semester. But he still knew enough to realize she was bad news. And I love how flawed Matt is. Again, Foggy - really - has yet to do something wrong. It would be easy to have the funny "sidekick" be the guy looking for easy ways out. Or looking for loopholes. But Foggy's is a total straight arrow. And Matt's the crooked part of the entire operation. Even his lothario ways, which have mostly been brought up as a joke, are kind of creepy. Like, Foggy had every right to get as furious as he did and then, basically, write Matt off.

Then, at the end, the show bent back toward the supernatural a bit. With Elektra and Matt (now very upset over her meddling in his real life) infiltrating the "blueprint" building from Season 1 and discovering a seemingly bottomless pit. Something The Hand created. Something that could only opened up in that spot. Which is why Fisk had to procure it for them. And in that moment too, Matt seemed to drop all of his anger and get wrapped up in the mystery of it all.

The Verdict

"Semper Fidelis" excellently began to weave the two separate major stories together. Possibly even linking everything back to The Hand (we don't know who initially intimidated the medical examiner over Frank's family's death). So that, plus Matt's lying catching up with him and his awkward discussion with Karen over there possibly being little difference between Punisher and Daredevil, made this one a scintillating episode.

Amazing

In "Semper Fidelis," Elektra began to complicate Matt's real life in huge ways.